Book-stitching machine



July 4, 1950 E. w. BELLUCHE 2,513,276

BooK STITCHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 3, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l E7 5'2" WEE/INDIE M S, i M Y b L July 4, 1950 E. w. BELLUCHE 2,513,276

`BooK STITCHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 3, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E/mgr WEE/Mah@ Patented .luly 4, 1950 snit 2,513,276 BUK-STI'ILCHENG li/KACHNE Application August 3, i949, Serial No. 108,398

(Cl. l-'?') 7 Claims.

This invention relates to book stitching man chines of the type wherein a plurality of superimposed signatures .are stitched together by wire staples.

Such signature stitching machines, as they are often called, generally comprise a long endless conveyor chain which moves past a series of signature loading stations upon which the individual signatures are placed to be stripped off one after the other for superimposition upon each other, byv a series of pushers iiXed to the chain at spaced intervals.

The collected signatures are then conveyed by the chain onto an inverted V-shaped saddle where gripper mechanism successively .advances the groups of signatures to a stitching position. At the stitching position the groups of signatures come to rest under a plurality of stitcher heads coacting with clinchers located under the apex of the saddle to drive and clinch wire staples into each group of signatures and thus stitch or bind them into books. Thereafter the stitched books are fed farther along the saddle to be delivered from the machine as by mechanism forming the subject matter of the copending application, Serial No. 108,397, filed August 3, 1949.

Since machines of this type are designed to handle books of varying lengths the individual stitcher heads and their cooperating clinchers are .adjustable lengthwise of the saddle to enable varying the spacing therebetween and accommodating the same to books of dierent lengths.

The stitcher heads are readily accessible so that their adjustment is easily effected, but inasmuch as the clinchers are located within the sadn die adjustment thereof has heretofore presented qui-te a problem. The `clinchers are ordinarily mounted by Tbolts sliding in an elongated T- slot which extends lengthwise of the saddle. This connection enables the clinchers to be secured in place at any point along the length of the saddle.

However, since the entire clincher of necessity must be located within the saddle, access to the T-bolts securing it in place heretofore presented considerable dimculty. To afford such access it was customary in the past to provide the front plate of the saddle with an elongated slot through which tools could be inserted for man nipulation of the T-bolts. Obviously, however, the restricted access afforded to the clincher by this expedient made it objectionable.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a book stitching machine of the character described having an improved saddle construction especially adapted and designed to,v facilitate access to the clinchers and which is so arranged and constructed that its front plate may be swung entirely out of the way to afford unrestricted access to the clincher and its mounting.

Another object of this invention is to provide a saddle for book stitching machines having a movable front plate and wherein the plate is hingedly mounted and yieldingly retained in its normal operative position.

Still another object of this invention is to so construct the mounting for the hinged front plate that the same spring inea-ns serves to hold the same in its normal operative position or in its opened, lowered position affording access to the clinchers.

-leretofore, the sides of the Vshaped saddle were iiat and deiined an angle of ninety degrees The books thus occupied an unnatural position on the saddle with a concentration of pressure along the lower edges of the saddle due to the tendency for the dependent portions of thel books to hang straight down. As a result the surfaces of the innermost signatures were oftenl marred and scratched as the books were slid along'the saddle. In an effort to overcome this objection rollers were mounted along the lower edges of the saddle but these broke and generally proved to be a nuisance.

IThe present invention, therefore, has as another of its objects to provide a saddle upon which the books drape naturally with substantially uniform unit pressure throughout the entire area of contact between book and saddle to thus obviate the diculties heretofore encountered.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, this inn vention resides in the novel construction, com bination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the `appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one cornplete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best inode so iar devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of the saddle of a book stitching machine of the type to which this invention pertains, said View havn ing parts broken away to illustrate structural details and showing the movable front plate swung down to expose the clinchers;

Figure 2 is across sectional View through the saddle, illustrating the front plate thereof in its normal operative position; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the front plate swung down, as in Figure 1, to expose the clinchers.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings the numeral 5 designates generally the saddle of a book stitching machine of the type to which this invention pertains. As is well known to those skilled in the art, signatures to be stitched f are moved along this Saddle to a stitching position or station at which a plurality of stitcher heads 6 (only one of which has been indicated) coact with clinchers 'l to drive wire staples through the fold lines of a group of superimposed signatures resting on the saddle, to stitch the same into a book or magazine.

After being thus stitched the books are fed farther along the saddle to delivery mechanism (not shown) which delivers the books from the z machine. The saddle 5 comprises angularly disposed front and back plates 8 and 9 respectively, the latter iixed to a iframe l@ and the former movable from an operative position shown in Figure 2 to an inoperative position shown in Figures 1 and 3.

An elongated base plate H is mounted upon the frame iii with its upper edge extending along the apex of the saddle and ush with the back plate 9. The clinchers l, of which only one has been shown, are adjus'tably secured to the front face of this base plate Il by means of T-boltsJ I2 having special screw slotted nuts i3. Loosening of the nuts i3 allows the clinchers to be slid along the length of the plate I i to any desired position, f

such adjustment of the clinchers being possible without disturbing the connection of their plungers ill with an elongated rocker lever l5.

During operation of the machine the rocking motion of the lever l5 vertically reciprocates the plungers ifl of all of the clinchers, yand as isv well known, each clincher cooperates with a separate stitcher head 6.

Heretofore the iront plate 8 of the saddle has been xed in position in substantially the samel way as the back plate 9 and access to the clinchers and their fastening nuts was possible only through an elongated slot in the front plate. To obviate the inconvenience of such restricted access to the clinchers the present invention provides a novel mounting for the iront plate by which the front plate may be readily swung from its norinal operative position shown in Figure 2 to its lowered, open position shown in Figures l and 3. In this latter position of the front plate the clinchers are fully exposed for manipulation.

Specically, the iront plate 8 is supported by two pivoted arms i5 (only one of which has been shown) pivoted to the frame ill as at Il and pivotally connected with the front plate 8 as at I3. In the normal operative position of the front plate S the arm i6 stands upright from its pivot il, and the inner face oi the front plate rests against one or more inclined supports i9, only one of which has been shown. In this position of the iront plate its bottom edge is rigidly supported against vertical displacement bythe engagement of a iiange 2@ iixed to its inner side in a slot 2i in a part '.22 carried by the base IG. By virtue of this flange and slot engagement, the lower edge of the iront plate must be drawn laterally forward before the iront plate can be swung down to its inoperative position.

One or more tension springs 2li, preferably one for each arm i6, are provided-to-yieldingly hold each arm and consequently the front plate in either of its two positions. One end of each spring is anchored as at i5 and its other end is connected to the adjacent arm i6 as at 2li. It will be observed that the connections E6 are so located with respect to the pivots il about which the arms l@ swing that when the iront plate is in its normal operative position shown in Figure 2 the springs are inwardly of dead center to hold the plate in its normal position and that as the plate is swung down the spring crosses to the other side of dead center to yieldingly hold the front plate in its lowered position.

Hence, the same spring holds the iront plate in either of its two positions, the lowered inoperative'position being deined by the engagement ci a pin 2l carried by `and extending from one side of the arm i6 with a supporting surface 28.

As will be Lpparent to those skilled in the art the cross sectional shape the saddle is such that the boolrs E, one of which is indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, drape naturally over the saddle. Thus, w in the past sides of the saddle were hat and deiined a ninety degree (96) angle, the front and bacia plates 2 and 2, respectively, define an acute angle substantially less than ninety degrees (90) and are curved convexly so that their lower portions are substantially vertical. the tendency of the dependent portions of a bool; resting upon the saddle to hang straight down Idoes not impose increased unit pressure along the lower edges oi the saddle. Instead substantially uniform unit 'iressure obtains across the entire area of Contact between the book and saddle. As "esult the bool; can be slid along the saddle without danger` of being marred or scratched as was often the case in the past.

From the foregoing description taken in ccnnection with the accompanying drawings it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that this invention overcomes two rather troublesome characteristics of book or signature stitching machines of the past, and does so in a simple and expeditious manne-r.

V7 hat I claini as my invention is:

l. In a book stitching machine of the character described: a saddle along which signatures to be stitched are moved to a stitching station; stitching means at said station including a stitcher head above the saddle and a clincher mounted under the saddle, said stitching means being adjustable lengthwise of the saddle, the saddle having an inverted V shape in cross section and including a front plate normally overlying the clincher; means hingediy mounting said iront plate lor swinging movement about an axis parallel with the saddle apex from an operative position at which it co "'s the clincher to a lowered inoperative pos.. ion exposing the clincher to facilitate adjustment thereof; and means readily releasably holding the front plate in its normal operative position.

2. A bool: stitching machine of the character described wherein signatures to be stitched are movable along a substantially inverted if-shaped saddle to stitching mechanism including a clincher positioned within the saddle under the apex thereof and wherein the stitcher mechanism is adjustable lengthwise cf the saddle, characterised by the fact that the saddle comprises ang-ularly disposed front and back plates, the front plate being movable between an operative position at which it forms part of the saddle and thus covers the clincher and an inoperative position exposing the clincher to facilitate adjustment thereof; and means for readily releasably holding the movable front plate in its operative position.

3. In a book stitching machine of the character described: a saddle along which signatures to be stitched are movable to a stitching station; stitching mechanism at said stitching station including a clincher, the saddle comprising front and back plates disposed at an angle to each other and together defining an inverted V; means adjustably mounting the clincher within the saddle and. beneath the apex thereof; means movably mounting the front plate; means deiining the operative position of the front plate, movement of the front plate from said operative position exposing the clincher to facilitate adjustment thereof; and means readily releasably retaining the front plate in its operative position.

4. In a book stitching machine the structure set forth in claim 3 further characterized by the fact that said mounting for the movable front plate is hinged to swing on an axis parallel with the saddle.

5. In a book stitching machine the structure set forth in claim 4 further characterized by the fact that said means for releasably retaining the front plate in its operative position comprises a toggle spring extending to opposite sides of the hinge axis about which the mounting for the front plate swings, and having one end connected with the front plate and its other end anchored, so that said spring swings across said hinge axis as the front plate is moved from one position to the other.

6. A book stitching machine of the character described having a saddle along which signatures to be stitched, and stitched books are movable,

characterized by the fact that the sides of said saddle are convexly curved and generally dene an acute angle substantially less than ninety degrees with the lower portions of. the sides substantially perpendicular.

7. In a book stitching machine of the character described: a saddle along which signatures to be stitched, and stitched books are movable, said saddle comprising front and back plates generally dening an inverted V with the included angle less than ninety degrees, said front and back plates being convexly curved medially of their upper and lower edges and the lower portions of said front and back plates being substantially iiat and perpendicular.

ELMER W. BELLUCHE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,351,231 Christensen Aug. 31, 1920 1,400,725 Christensen Dec. 20, 1921 1,423,647 Christensen July 25, 1922 1,463,940 Christensen Aug. 7, 1923 1,608,838 Christensen Nov. 30, 1926 1,608,839 Christensen Nov. 30, 1926 1,614,715 Christensen Jan. 18, 1927 1,614,716 Christensen Jan. 18, 1927 1,614,717 Christensen Jan. 18, 1927 1,641,482 Greene Sept. 6, 1927 1,651,122 I-Iofert Nov. 29, 1927 1,716,773 Greene et al June 11, 1929 1,733,328 Belluche Oct. 29, 1929 1,750,622 Belluche Mar. 18, 1930 1,879,040 Belluche Sept. 27, 1932 

